Finding Love Through Peril
by sienna.citrine
Summary: Bella Swan has always been known as the adopted daughter of Charlie and Renée. Thir adopted daughter, Lauren, detests Bella. In a fit of anger, she throws Bella overboard during a cruise. Bella is washed ashore and saved by Edward Cullen. AU-Human
1. Prologue

Prologue

"Bella, come on down to meet your new parents!" hollered Mrs Lee, the orphanage mistress.

I was in my room, the room I had lived in for the whole of my eight years in the orphanage. I shared the place with another girl, who had recently been adopted, leaving the upper bunk of the bunk bed we shared vacant. The metal frame was covered in rust, and the two mattresses lay torn and tattered. A small cupboard was placed next to the bed. All my personal belongings were stored there.

I was perched precariously on the edge of the wooden table in the corner, a position I liked to be in. My arms were wrapped tightly around my legs, which I had pulled close to my chest. I shut my eyes firmly as I rocked slowly to and fro.

All my life I had lived here, without the love of my parents. According to Mrs Lee, I had been deposited on the doorstep of the orphanage in a cardboard box. She had heard the doorbell ring in the dead of night, and trudged sleepily to get the door. There was nobody there, only me, a mere baby, wrapped in a thin blanket and sleeping soundly, oblivious to her surroundings. There was only a bracelet around my wrist, on which hung a small gold heart. 'Bella' was carved on the surface of the accessory.

Ever since I heard that story, I had been speculating about the whereabouts of my biological parents. I refused to believe that they had disowned me, or I that I had been the result of an unwanted pregnancy. Instead, I fantasized about my mom being a rich model, like those women on the cover of the magazines Mrs Lee always left lying around in the sitting room. Or my dad, who was a millionaire, and both of them lived in a large mansion. They had only left me in the orphanage because of some financial difficulty they had before they became rich, and would come back and claim me someday.

I was snapped out of my reverie when Mrs Lee stormed into my room. I opened my eyes to see her hands on her hips, and an annoyed expression on her face. 'Bella, get down from there immediately! It's dangerous!' she commanded, and I reluctantly jumped down from the table.

Then, her expression softened. 'Bella, aren't you happy? Two kind people are here, to take you to your home!' She patted my head softly. I grimaced. This was the third time I was being introduced. The first two couples accepted me at first, but changed their mind soon after.

I had never been the cute little girl that everyone loved. Instead, as child after child was adopted and brought away, I was still left on the shelf, an unwanted toy. I doubted that this time I would be adopted.

Silently, I followed Mrs Lee down the stairs, the wooden steps creaking under my weight. I stepped into the sitting room, the smell of disinfectant hitting me strongly. The square room was painted a cream color, with a picture hanging over the fireplace. A warm fire crackled in the corner, sending tiny sparks shooting out onto the carpeted floor. A few old armchairs were scattered around a glass coffee table.

I chewed my bottom lip nervously and steeled myself to meet my new parents. They were lounging comfortably in the armchairs, the only people in the room other than Mrs Lee and I. The man smiled hesitantly, while the lady gazed at me lovingly.

"Oh, Mrs Lee, she's absolutely perfect! Bella is exactly what I imagined her to be!" said the lady, happiness seeming to radiate from her.

"Nice girl," mumbled the man and his wife punched him in the shoulder. "Is that _all _you can say?"she demanded.

"I was never a person of many words," replied the man in a gruff voice.

"Well then, I see you've met Bella. So, are we going on with the adoption, as planned?" asked Mrs Lee.

"Of course!" exclaimed the lady. Turning to me, she said, "Hi Bella. I'm Renée, but you can call me mom. This is Charlie," she added, gesturing to the man who was sitting beside her.

"I see you still keep the bracelet," she said nonchalantly, glancing towards the bracelet that I never took off.

"What?" I was confused. How did these people know about my bracelet?

"No-Nothing," said Charlie hurriedly, cutting into our conversation. "Renée," growled Charlie harshly.

"It's nothing," replied Renée, speaking to me again, though her tone was different this time. She was visibly shaken, I could tell.

"What I meant was, you have a very nice bracelet there," commented Renée, and the tense atmosphere changed into one that was more relaxed.

"Why don't you address your new parents?" suggested Mrs Lee. I had almost forgotten her presence in the room.

"Mom? Dad?" I whispered tentatively. Renée gasped, and literally flung herself from the chair to me, enveloping me in a hug.

"Oh Bella," choked Renée. I smiled genuinely, as I reached out to hug her back.


	2. Arrival In Rio

Arrival in Rio

I was tired. I hadn't had a moment's sleep since the night before due to the several planes we had to take with no rest in between the flights. I had tried my best to sleep but it evaded me, time and again. _Damn it. _I was on the brink of fainting from exhaustion_. How embarrassing._

I tried to force my way into dreamland again. Sadly, I was barred yet again from its compound. Car engines purred and groaned all around me as snippets of various conversations echoed in my head.

"Onde está minha galinha? Eu não posso encontrá-la!"

"Where is the beach? I'm missing out on all the sunshine!"

"Eu deio estes turistas!"

The cab driver shook his fist angrily while muttering something in Portuguese, a string of profanities I presumed, as he swerved to avoid another truck.

I closed my eyes and tried to block out all the noise. It didn't work. I sighed heavily.

I was 24, stuck in a dusty old cab, plagued with writer's block, and devoid of a life purpose. And did I mention? Wedged tight between my sister and mother with absolutely zero breathing space.

I sucked in gulps of air, trying not to panic while my breathing slowly inched its way to hyperventilation.

"Oh, would you stop acting like such a drama queen? I hate it when you freak out like this. Outsider," drawled Lauren, her silky voice piercing through the cacophony of sounds that reverberated in the confines of the vehicle.

"Lauren," warned Renée in a threatening tone. "I will not tolerate such behavior in you, young lady. Bella is your _sister_," she emphasized. "Not an outsider. Understood?"

"Yes, mom," whined Lauren. She shot me a murderous glance before mouthing, "You will pay dearly," and then returning her gaze to the scenery that shot by.

I surveyed our surroundings. We were in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for a well-deserved family holiday. Renée had suggested Rio particularly because she wanted to visit its pristine beaches. And to soak up the abundant sunshine which we never seemed to get enough of in Forks. We were headed towards Copacabana, which was famous for its 4km long beach.

The cab was driving through Rio's crowded streets which were packed full of people. It snaked through the lines of traffic, occasionally gaining glares from some of the locals. I turned my head away from the window and concentrated on the seat in front of me in an attempt to tame the nausea that was growing inside of me.

The sun hung high in the sky, obscured by the hazy air, the result of pollution during peak hours.

I prayed hard that the journey was about to end.

The contents of my half-digested breakfast sloshed around in my stomach, and I still felt as though I was going to throw everything up. I suppressed the feeling as I bit down on my bottom lip forcefully. I shut my eyes tight and concentrated on my thoughts.

Almost immediately after I had been adopted by Charlie and Renée, Renée had become pregnant with Lauren. I was ecstatic at the thought of a new sister but worried that I would be showered with less care and love at the arrival of a real daughter. However, I needn't have worried as we were treated equally.

In a way, my life was perfect. If, you didn't count _Lauren _in.

Lauren treated me like an outsider, simply because she thought that I wasn't supposed to belong to her family. She was connected to Charlie and Renée by blood ties but they had no obligation to treat me as their own. I was grateful to them that they did, but somehow, I still didn't feel loved enough. Despite the fact that Renée consistently reminded me that they had _chosen_ me, I couldn't shake the abandonment issues I had carried with me since birth. Lauren also felt that I was a leech; a parasite, that sucked the money and kindness from _her parents. _

I never voiced my thoughts before, afraid that Lauren I would hurt her feelings. I desperately wanted her to accept me, to treat me like _a real sister._ This crazy desire to _belong_ seemed to fuel my need to live!

Huh, like the only thing worth living for was to gain acceptance from my own sister. As bizarre as it sounded, it was… _true._

Instead, I just took everything in stride even when Lauren blatantly showed her hatred for me in front of our relatives and friends, her hostility rolling off of her in waves.

I blinked back tears that were threatening to leak out from under my eyelids. A small voice at the back of my head scoffed, 'You are adopted. _Adopted._ You aren't supposed to be here, wasting Charlie and Renée's money as you enjoy a holiday that was never meant for you.'

_I hated myself. My birth parents would never have…have… thrown me away if I wasn't so…full of imperfections._

My heart ached at every word, which seemed to leave indelible marks on me. _Stop wallowing in self-pity, I_ told myself. Be _appreciative that Charlie and Renée invited you._

Guilt wrenched my heart apart as I recalled Lauren's glares at me every time Renée reprimanded her for not giving me the respect I deserved in the household. I never blamed her though. I just wanted her to acknowledge me as her sister.

"Lauren, I-" I started, as I prepared to apologize to her.

"Save it, Bella," she snarled. "I still loathe you."

I winced at her words. Renée seemed to have missed my attempt at an apology.

Conversation over.

Beads of perspiration rolled down my temple and my throat was parched from breathing in the warm air. I fumbled around the floor of the cab until I found my duffel bag which I immediately zipped open. Rummaging around in the bag, I found my water bottle. I flipped open the cap and gulped down the cool water, soothing my irritated throat.

My head throbbed painfully as the cab ran over another pothole causing my family to be mercilessly jostled around inside.

Lauren clicked her tongue impatiently as she re-tied her hair for the umpteenth time.

She had natural, silver blonde hair that was the envy of all the girls at school. Her 'fishy-eyes', as some jealous girls used to joke about, seemed to add on to her appeal. She donned a baby pink tube top, and a black miniskirt, which never in a million years, would I dream of wearing that. I was usually an inconspicuous wallflower, ignored and not noticed by the students at university. I didn't care that much though, as I wasn't one who gave much of a thought about appearance.

She caught the eye of almost every boy she met, and well, I didn't seem to interest anyone at all. I used to feel inferior standing next to her, my younger sister, who was ten times the extrovert that I would ever be. The inferiority wore off after awhile, but occasionally I would feel that twinge of jealously, and hate myself for being so ugly and unpopular.

I was feeling absolutely disgusting; once we got to the hotel, I would take a very, very, _very _long shower.

And take a long nap. Sleep. The mere thought of it had me almost drooling.

_A large four-poster bed, with soft blankets. Wrapped snuggly under covers, nice and warm._

Finally, after what seemed like eternity the cab screeched to a stop. Charlie, who was sitting in the front, handed over some money, which the driver eagerly accepted.

I stepped out into the heat, feeling light-headed.

"This way," indicated Charlie, and all of us followed him, albeit a little reluctantly.

"Where is the stupid hotel?" groaned Lauren. "This heat is doing _wonders_ for my hair!" she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Oh, stop your complaining," muttered Renée, as she lugged her luggage behind her. "We'll be there in a sec."

We stepped onto the sidewalk that lined the beach, which was paved with black and cream swirl pattern mosaics. It was swarmed with tourists and locals, and there was a lot of pushing and shoving as we made our way to the hotel.

I glanced wistfully at the beach, thronged with people clad in swimsuits as they lounged on beach chairs or swam in the sea. I would make it a point to go there once I had cleaned myself up.

Another reason Renée had invited me along was to help clear up the writer's block that had plagued me for several months. I worked as a freelance writer. Writing has been my passion since I was very young. However, lately it didn't seem to be a very rewarding job, considering the fact that I often got rejections regarding works I had penned and sent to various literary magazines. Plus, writer's block _had_ to mean something, right? Unlike previous occasions when I would get stuck midway through a piece, now I had absolutely no inspiration to write anything. And that meant that there was no paycheck that would be sent to me. Thus, no money. God.

I didn't even know what I was going to do next. Was I going to continue with my current job, and pray for the writer's block to go away? Or chuck my career away and start from scratch with another occupation?

I didn't know.

I loved writing but sometimes I just wished I could switch careers with someone else. Bill Gates, perhaps?

I was a complete wreck, my whole life was just a pretense. A play, an act, for someone else to watch.

I just pulled through university, somehow not caring what courses I took. I just wanted everything to be completed.

I searched my whole life for something, something… that was _missing from my life._ I didn't know what it was, I just had to find it. Only… I didn't know how to start looking. I used to think that by writing I could eventually find a way to really express myself and find the real me – but so far this had eluded me.

But it was essential that I found… this… missing part of me. Then, I would be able to live purposefully. I didn't know if I could accomplish this feat. But I had to try. No matter what it took, no matter what sacrifices I had to make. _I had to try._

Sigh. Life was tough. Especially for me.

Suddenly, I felt another intense wave of nausea overcome me. My limbs were aching from all of the walking, and a severe migraine was causing me to become giddy. The sun beat down on my back and I squinted into the distance. My vision became blurred, and I slurred, "He-he-help-p…"

That was when I retched, and threw up my partially-digested breakfast. Immediately, the crowd around me scattered, and the curious passers-by formed a circle around me, keeping a safe distance from me. And the guy I had just vomited on. I wasn't even remotely surprised by my bad luck.

My head cleared up immediately. My first thought when I saw him was, "Oh sweet Jesus, he's amazing!"

The second thought, causing me to cringe in absolute mortification, was, "Damn, I just threw up on his shoes."

He _was_ amazing.

He was stunning, gorgeous and extremely handsome. The guy looked to be in his twenties, probably around my age. He had bronze-colored hair which appeared all the more beautiful in the harsh sunlight. His eyes were emerald green, and I gasped as I took in the contours of his chest. His full lips were twisted up into a crooked smile and I lost my train of thought, a second ago full of apologies, as I gazed up at him.

Until Lauren burst into the loosely formed circle.

"Bella!" she shrieked. "What did you do?"

I pulled my eyes from him and stared at her.

"Oh!"

I blushed, my cheeks a shade of dark scarlet.

Hushed whispers were being uttered in the crowd and fingers were being pointed at me.

"Way to go, _Bella._"

I resisted the urge to run and hide.

I chewed on my bottom lip and turned to the man.

"I'm so sorry!" I apologized, the words finally tumbling out of my mouth. "I'll… I'll pay for your shoes!"

"It's okay. Are you alright?"' He asked in a velvet voice, concern written all over his face.

To my surprise and immense relief, there was no trace of disgust or annoyance in his tone.

"Oh, she's fine. Bella's an absolute klutz," interrupted Lauren.

She batted her eyelashes coyly at him. _Flirting,_ I thought, groaning inwardly. _Again._

"My name's Lauren," she said sweetly. "What's yours?"

I rolled my eyes at her, exasperated. He winked secretly at me.

"I'm Edward," he introduced, though he was resting his gaze on me.

He had ignored her!

I was surprised. In the history of boys Lauren had tried to lure into her trap, and then cruelly break their hearts, not a single one of them had done that. Show no interest in her, that is.

But I wasn't going to complain.

I suppressed a giggle as I peeked at Lauren out of the corner of my eyes.

She was livid.

For once, I didn't care either.

"Aren't you mad that I ruined your shoes?" I questioned, as I stared at his black shoes, which were stained with vomit. He still hadn't shifted his position or made a move to rid his shoes of it.

"Well, you didn't do it on purpose. I'm more worried about you." He took on a more soothing tone.

I blushed even harder.

"I'm fine."

He reached forward to brush a lock of hair from my face, and his fingers lingered on my cheek. My heart thumped. Everything seemed to become silent; the only sound I could hear was the erratic beating of my heart.

"Are you very sure?" His voice sounded like music to my ears.

I had a feeling that I had stopped breathing.

My palms were clammy with sweat as I took in the proximity of our bodies.

And that was when I fainted.

The last thing I remembered before I lost consciousness was breathing in the sweet scent that enveloped him.

_Edward. His name was Edward. What a wonderful name. What a wonderful name it was._


End file.
